It took Paige a moment to realize where she was. In Alex's room. She turned underneath Alex's arm and watched her sleep. She glanced at the clock behind Alex for second. She caressed Alex's cheek, which caused her to flinch a little. Alex slowly opened her eyes.
"I didn't mean to wake you." Paige said just above a whisper.
"It's OK. You're lucky. If it had been anyone else, I would've castrated them. So be thankful." Alex said, closing her eyes again. "What time is it?"
"10 in the morning. Even the guys are up. You can hear Jimmy and Nick playing video games." The two were silent and heard Nick and Jimmy saying something to each other. Alex chuckled. Paige kissed her gently. "We should get up." Paige got out of bed against Alex's protests. Alex eventually got out of bed. They freshened up and got ready for the day and then went into the living room.
"Morning lovebirds." was the first thing said and it was said by Nick.
"Morning guys." Paige said.
"What's on today's agenda?" Alex asked.
"Let's hang in the snow." Jimmy said.
"The park?" Manny asked. Nick grunted and everyone looked at him. Then everyone remembered what happened. Emma and Manny were the only ones who didn't know what was going on.
"What?" Emma asked. Everyone looked from Nick to Darcy.
"Spinner and Nick got into a fight over me at the park." Darcy finally said.
"Oh." Emma and Manny said.
"Nick, I'm sure Spinner won't even be there." Paige said.
"And if he is, I'll help you beat the shit out of him." Alex said. Paige hit Alex in the arm. She didn't know why Alex would say such a thing. Nick did though.
"Fine. I'll go downstairs really fast and you guys get ready." Nick stood up and left.
"Paige, any possible way you have any clothes I can borrow?" Darcy asked.
"Me, too." Ellie said.
"Of course, hun. Come here." Paige, Ellie, and Darcy walked into Alex's room and went through her suitcase. Emma and Manny went into Nick's room, because they had some clothes in his closet. Alex sat on the couch next to Jimmy and Marco.
"So, did you and Paige do anything your first night back together?" Marco asked.
"Of course not." Alex said. "It'd been a long day and we were really tired. I'm just glad I got to sleep in the same bed as her again." Alex gave Jimmy a high five.
"For sure. I guess I understand." Jimmy said. The five girls came out of the rooms and sat down.
Nick walked in and took off his sweatshirt, showing the tank top underneath, and threw it in his room.
"What's going on?" Marco asked.
"We're snowed in. There's six feet of snow outside the front door in the lobby. We have to wait until we're dug out." Nick said. The others sighed. "Could be worse."
"How?" Alex asked. Just then, the lights went out.
"Alex, I've told you before never ask how after a person says could be worse. You jinx it."
"Right. Sorry, I forgot." Everyone heard a thump and something fall to the ground.
"What was that?" Darcy asked.
"I think I ran into the bathroom door." Nick's voice was muffled, because his face was in his hands. "Alex, you know where the flashlight is?"
"No need." Alex said. She opened the curtains to the balcony and let in the gray light.
"That's better." Nick stood up and opened the bathroom door. "Lex, got a lighter?"
"You know I always have one on me." Alex took a silver lighter out of her back pocket and tossed it to Nick.
"Always?" Paige said sternly.
"Um, for Jay. Just in case." Alex hesitated.
"Uh-huh. I'll pretend I believe you." Nick finished lighting a few candles in the bathroom and tossed the lighter back. Paige caught it instead and put in her back pocket. She walked over to the couch and sat down.
"Nice one, Lex. Haven't even been datin' for 24 hours and you're already upsetting her." Nick said when Alex walked over to him.
"Ha. Very funny. Anyway, no sweat. I'll get the lighter back. It's in her back pocket."
"Yeah, we know. So what?"
"I am her girlfriend, right?" Nick snickered and nodded.
"So, who's up for a game of truth or dare?"
------------------------------
"Alex, truth or dare?" Ellie asked.
"Truth." Alex answered.
"After you and Paige broke up, did you ever go out with anyone else?" Nick snickered. Alex's eyes widened. She knew Nick had told Ellie to ask that.
"Um, oh shit." Nick began to laugh a little louder. "Gee, Nick, I hope that's a 'Good luck answering that question' laugh."
"Trust me, it is." Nick said before bursting into a fit of giggles.
"What's so funny?" Manny said.
"OK, I did have another girlfriend." Alex said.
"And that's why he's laughing?" Paige asked.
"No. Not necessarily."
"Where's the CD?" Nick said, standing up going over to their CD collection.
"NO! Nick!" Alex immediately got up and tried to stop him, but he was already there. He grabbed the CD case. He was still laughing. Alex tackled him.
"Ow, Lex!" He tossed the CD and it was caught by Paige. She looked at it. Jimmy did, too.
"Bill Withers?" Jimmy said. "Let me guess, Ain't No Sunshine?"
"Yup."
"OK. What's the story behind this?" Paige asked.
"You start it, Nick." Alex said. She sighed.
"A'ight. I had just come home from class. I opened the door to the apartment and the lights were dimmed. And I saw Alex sitting on the couch, her back to me."
Flashback
Nick had his messenger bag on. He pulled out his keys when he reached his apartment. He opened his apartment and walked in. The living room lighting was dim. He raised his eyebrow and tilted his head. On the couch was Alex. She didn't realize he was there. He listened to the music that was playing. He walked over to the CD player by his instruments.
Wonder this time where she's gone, And I know, I know, I know, I know, I know
Wonder if she's gone to stay
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
And this house just ain't no home anytime she goes away.
Nick turned off the CD and continued the song but added his own words.
"I know, I know. You oughta leave that young tramp alone." Alex looked at him. "She dumped you?"
"Yeah. For some guy." Alex said.
"I told you she was a slut. I told you she was a whore. I told you she was a prostitute. Don't know why you didn't see it. Probably had a few men up in here. Maybe a few females in the mix."
"How was I supposed to know?"
"Alex, her name was Candy. That was your first hint. Your second hint was when she came here with that overcoat. And underneath it, she was wearing leather lingerie. Not only that, she had a whip, them chains, and she was wearing them ten inch hooker heels." He sat by Alex and set his thumb and his index finger apart. "I even told you she was a stripper. I saw her in a strip club and whenever you weren't around, she hit on me. Plus, you don't listen to that type of music when you goin' through. Listen to rap. Half that stuff has no meanin' to it." Alex shook her head. "Hey. It's a'ight. You'll get over her. This was more like a… rebound."
"Off of who?"
"Paige." Alex scoffed.
"Can we not talk about her?" Alex said, sadness in her voice.
"Fine, but you'll get over Candy. Trust me. By next week, you'll be back on your feet." Nick kissed her forehead.
"Thanks. You know, maybe I should've given you a chance in high school."
"Are you saying that if you were straight, you'd go out with me?" Alex walked to her room and stopped at her door.
"Yes." Alex closed her door.
"Well, that made my week."
End of Flashback
"Now that I look back on it, I don't know why I didn't see it." Alex said.
"You were at a strip club?" Darcy asked Nick. Nick and Alex looked at each other.
"Dan and Tommy dragged me in. I didn't want to go." Nick said.
"Nice one." Alex muttered.
"Shut up."
"OK. Paige, truth or dare?" Paige thought about it.
"Truth."
"What did you do after we broke up?" Nick's eyebrows went up and he moved to the side a bit. Everyone knew what happened.
"Um, Alex, can I talk to you alone?" Paige asked nervously. Alex nodded as if she didn't know what happened. Paige and Alex stood up and walked into Alex's room. It was completely dark Paige pulled Alex's lighter from her back pocket. She let the flame out so she could see. "Do you have candles in here?" Alex nodded and went to her closet. Paige followed to give her light. Alex pulled out a candle or two and put them on her dresser. Paige lit them, giving the room a bit more light.
"So, what happened? Why do you want to talk to me alone?" Paige couldn't look at Alex.
"Alex, after we broke-up, I went to The Dot and sat alone so I could think. Spinner was closing up and offered me a ride home and I- well, I kissed him." Alex remained silent. "The next day I slept with him, but it didn't mean anything, I swear." She looked up at Alex. Alex's expression was blank. "Alex?" Alex smirked.
"Hmm, I didn't think you'd tell the truth."
"What?"
"I knew you slept with Spinner. I just needed to hear it from you." Alex said.
"So, you're not mad?"
"No, I'm mad as hell. But I'm not gonna hold it against you. I might hold it against Spinner, though."
"That's why you told Nick you'd beat Spinner up if he messed with him?"
"Yup."
"Who told you and how long have you known?"
"Nick told me a few months ago."
"So, you've known all along?"
"Yup. You know what? First day you came here, I didn't think I'd be able to speak to you, let alone touch you. I just kept thinking about how you and Spinner used to be together. And then I kept imagining you and him… well, you know. When I first found out, I went into a… depression. Then, I finally got over it."
"Sorry, I put you through so much grief." Paige said.
"It's OK. I've got you now. And he doesn't." Alex said, her last sentence in sing-song. Paige giggled.
"You're so immature."
"Yeah, well, that's why you love me."
"Well, that's one reason. You're also understanding. When you wanna be." Paige added.
"Come on. The others probably think I murdered you right now." Alex said. "Hey, that gives me an idea."
"No. None of your ideas."
"What? It would've been a good prank."
"Maybe next time."
"But you may never do anything awful like this to me again." Paige punched Alex in the arm. "Ow!"
"I'll never do anything awful to you like this again." Alex grinned. She kissed Paige out of gratitude for what she'd just said.
"You better not. Now come on." The two walked out of the room. "OW!" Alex closed her eyes.
"I know. Bright light. Power's back." Nick said. Nick and Alex were very sensitive to light when they'd been in darkness for too long. They had to adjust before the stinging went away.
"I can see that." Alex said. Darcy went to turn out the light. "Thank you." Alex opened her eyes again.
"I say we watch a movie." Nick said.
"What movie, hun?" Paige asked.
"How about Rent?"
"Alright." Marco said. Everyone else agreed. Nick pulled out the movie and put it in the DVD player. Everyone settled themselves around the room. Nick, Darcy, Marco, Paige, and Alex sat on the couch. Emma and Manny sat on the floor and Ellie in an armchair. Jimmy pushed himself next to the couch.
"Before we start the movie. How about we do a sing along?"
"What?" Alex asked.
"Like we're a particular character and we sing there parts."
"Sounds fun. I wanna be Angel." Marco said.
"OK. I'm Roger." Nick said.
"Guess that makes Darcy, Mimi." Emma said.
"Guess it does." Darcy said.
"Does this automatically make us Joanne and Maureen?" Alex asked.
"Yeah, unless Ellie, Manny, or Emma wanna join in." Nick said.
"No." Emma, Ellie, and Manny said.
"OK. I'm Benny." Jimmy said.
"Great. Now we have to decide who's Maureen and who's Joanne between you two." Nick said.
"I thought it was obvious." Alex said. Paige hit her.
"OK. So, Lex is Maureen and Paige is Joanne. Perfect."
"Wait, but you need a Mark and Collins." Manny said.
"I'll be Mark." Marco said.
"And I'll be Collins." Jimmy said. Nick started the movie.
ALL In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights In five hundred twenty-five thousand How about love?
Five hundred twenty-five thousand, six hundred minutes,
Five hundred twenty-five thousand moments so dear.
Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes
How do you measure, measure a year?
In cups of coffee
In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife.
Six hundred minutes
How do you measure
A year in the life?
How about love?
How about love? Measure in love
Seasons of love
Seasons of love
JOANNE/PAIGE COLLINS/JIMMY ALL JOANNE/PAIGE
Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes!
Five hundred twenty-five thousand journeys to plan.
Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes
How do you measure the life of a woman or a man?
In truths that she learned,
Or in times that he cried.
In bridges he burned,
Or the way that she died.
It's time now to sing out,
Though the story never ends
Let's celebrate
Remember a year in the life of friends
Remember the love!
Remember the love!
Seasons of love!
Oh you got to got to remember the love! Remember the love,
You measure in love know that love is a gift from up above Seasons of love.
Share love, give love spread love
Measure, measure you life in love.
"Yes. Time for one of my favorite songs of the movie." Nick said.
MARK/MARCO ROGER/NICK
How do you document real life when real life's getting more like fiction each day?
Headlines - bread-lines blow my mind
And now this deadline "Eviction - or pay"
Rent!
How do you write a song when the chords sound wrong,
Though they once sounded right and rare?
When the notes are sour, where is the power you once had to ignite the air?
MARK/MARCO ROGER/NICK ROGER & MARK/ NICK & MARCO
And we're hungry and frozen
Some life that we've chosen
How we gonna pay?
How we gonna pay?
How we gonna pay?
Last year's rent?
ROGER/NICK MARK/MARCO ROGER & MARK/ NICK & MARCO MARK/MARCO ROGER/NICK MARK/MARCO ROGER & MARK/ NICK & MARCO
How do you start a fire when there's nothing
to burn and it feels like something's stuck in your flue?
How can you generate heat
When you can't feel your feet?
And they're turning blue!
You light up a mean blaze
With posters -
And screenplays
How we gonna pay?
How we gonna pay?
How we gonna pay?
Last year's rent?
COLLINS/JIMMY
How do you stay on your feet when on every street
It's "trick or treat" and tonight it's "trick"
"Welcome back to town"
I should lie down
Everything's brown,
And uh-oh, I feel sick
MARK/MARCO COLLINS/JIMMY ROGER & MARK/NICK & MARCO ALL MARK/MARCO ROGER/NICK MARK/MARCO ROGER & MARK/ NICK & MARCO ALL BENNY/JIMMY ROGER/NICK MARK/MARCO ALL ROGER & MARK/ NICK & MARCO ALL
Where is he?
Getting dizzy
How we gonna pay
How we gonna pay
How we gonna pay
Last year's rent
The music ignites the night with passionate fire
The narration crackles and pops with incendiary wit
Zoom in as they burn the past to the ground
And feel the heat of the future's glow
How do you leave the past behind
When it keeps finding ways to get to your heart?
It reaches way down deep and tears you inside out
'Til you're torn apart
Rent!
How can you connect in an age
Where strangers, landlords, lovers
Your own blood cells betray!
What binds the fabric together
When the raging, shifting winds of change
Keep ripping away!
Draw a line in the sand
And then make a stand!
Use your camera to spar
Use your guitar
When they act tough - you call their bluff
We're not gonna pay
We're not gonna pay
We're not gonna pay
Last year's rent! This year's rent!
Next year's rent
Rent rent rent rent rent
We're not gonna pay rent!!
'Cause everything is RENT!!!
Nick put his arm around Darcy and she put her head on his shoulder.
"Ahh, my part." Jimmy said.
"Close-up. Benjamin Coffin III. Our ex-roommate who married Allison Gray of the Westport Grays. His father-in-law bought several buildings on the block and a vacant lot, home to Tent City. Benny hopes to evict all of the homeless from Tent City and build a cyber studio." said the character of Mark.
"Roger, looking good for a guy coming off a year of withdrawal." said Benny.
"What do you want, Benny?" Roger asked.
"What do I want? Uh, well, my investor-"
"You mean your father-in-law?" Mark said.
"Right. Read about Maureen's performance in the Village Voice, got pissed, and sent me down here to collect the rent."
"What rent?"
"This past year's rent, which I let slide."
"Let slide? You said we were golden."
"When you bought the building?" Roger said.
"When we were roommates. Remember?"
"Yeah. How could I forget? You, me, Collins, and Maureen." Nick paused the movie.
"How interesting would it be if Jimmy, Marco, Alex, and I all lived in this apartment?" Nick asked.
"They'd starve. Because me and you eat entirely too much." Alex said. They all laughed.
"Just wondering." Nick un-paused the movie.
"How is the drama queen?" Benny said.
"She's getting ready for her performance." Mark said.
"I know. You still her production manager?"
"Not exactly."
"Still datin' her?"
"I was dumped."
"She got a new man?"
"Well, no."
"What's his name?"
"Joanne." Mark and Roger said. Benny laughed.
"Alex." Marco and Nick said at the same time. The girls hit them. Marco, Nick, and Jimmy chuckled.
"Thanks for being so understanding." Mark said.
"Well, you expect sympathy from the guy who turned off our power on Christmas Eve?" Roger said.
"Got your attention didn't it?" Benny said.
ROGER/NICK BENNY/JIMMY ROGER/NICK BENNY/JIMMY MARK/MARCO ROGER/NICK MARK/MARCO BENNY/JIMMY ROGER/NICK BENNY/JIMMY MARK/MARCO BENNY/JIMMY
What happened to Benny
What happened to his heart
And the ideals he once pursued?
The owner of that lot next door
Has a right to do with it as he pleases
Happy birthday, Jesus!
The rent
You're wasting your time
We're broke
And you broke your word -- this is absurd
There is one way you won't have to pay
I knew it!
Next door, the home of Cyber Arts, you see
And now that the block is re-zoned
Our dream can become a reality
You'll see boys
You'll see boys
A state of the art, digital, virtual interactive studio
I'll forego your rent and on paper guarantee
That you can stay here for free
If you do me one small favor
What?
Convince Maureen to cancel her protest
BENNY/JIMMY ROGER/NICK BENNY/JIMMY
MARK/MARCO
Why not just get an injunction or call the cops
I did, and they're on stand by
But my investors would rather
I handle this quietly
You can't quietly wipe out an entire tent city
Then watch 'It's a Wonderful Life' on TV!
You want to produce films and write songs?
You need somewhere to do it!
It's what we used to dream about
Think twice before you pooh-pooh it
You'll see boys
You'll see boys
You'll see -- the beauty of a studio
That lets us do our work and get paid
With condos on the top
Whose rent keeps open our shop
Just stop the protest
And you'll have it made
You'll see -- or you'll pack
For the rest of the movie, they'd had a good time putting on a performance for each other. In Tango Maureen, Paige and Marco tangoed. During Today 4 U, Nick and Alex switched off while doing Angel's drum solo. While singing Another Day, Darcy and Nick actually looked like they were arguing. During La Vie Boheme, Darcy and Marco danced together, Nick played Musetta's Waltz on guitar (just as Roger did). During Take Me or Leave Me, the gang got a stunning performance from Alex and Paige. In Goodbye Love, emotion was shown in all of their voices. What You Own was when everyone realized Nick's voice was similar to Roger's. Of course, he had many singing voices. That was just one of them. But Marco and Nick did a great job (everyone got a kick out of Marco hitting Nick in his jaw). In No Day But Today, everyone sang their hearts out. It was the last song of the movie. Had to go out with a bang.
"That was fun. But I have to go." Darcy said.
"Yeah, so do we." Ellie said. Jimmy rolled to the door.
"Alright, I'll take you home, Darce. Emma, Manny, you guys leaving?" Nick said.
"No, we'll stay the night again. Plus, we couldn't possibly leave Marco alone with those two lovebirds." Emma said.
"Alright. Hey, I say tomorrow we go to the park like we planned today. At noon."
"OK. We'll meet you there." Ellie said.
"Bye, guys." Jimmy said.
"Bye." the others said.
"I'll be back soon, guys." Nick said.
"OK. Later." Paige said. Nick and Darcy left, closing the door behind them. "So, what's next on our agenda?"